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Help! How to meal plan many small meals?
Jenny Wren:
My wife just found out she has a birth defect of the pancreas that mimics pancreatitis. The treatment is a few minor dietary changes and a switch to multiple small meals a day.
The problem? We have always been a three meals kinda family. I'm the cook (and that won't change, I usually enjoy the role) and I have meal planned for 20 years. I don't know how to change that habit. We are vegetarian, which really means that the only animal foods we eat are eggs and honey because I'm lactose intolerant and she can no longer have a lot of dairy.
The main challenge is that we don't do pre-prepared meals or foods at all really. I don't mind trying to shift my diet to a 5 to 6 small meal pattern, I just can't wrap my head around how to plan and cook for it when nearly everything is made from scratch, including the bread. There's really no grab and go snacks around here. I also feel like we need to have more (home) prepared food on us when we are out for the day, otherwise we'll have to stop for take-out "snacks" when running errands.
Am I over thinking this?
PoutineLover:
It's a change, but it shouldn't be too complicated once you get used to it. Maybe the easiest switch would be to eat a meal in two halves - you would still be making three meals and eating them twice each (over consecutive days if you prefer). Or, separate the sides and main, eat those at different times. Sandwiches are easy to take on the go. Salads are decent, since they don't need to warmed up, but they're not as easy to eat on the go. Homemade granola bars are easy and portable, as are trail mixes and fruits and veggies with dip. Maybe make a list of meals and sort them by what you can eat out vs at home, and figure out how the 5-6 meals fit into the day and where you would be for each of them.
terran:
Would she be bothered by just breaking up the meals you usually eat into multiple smaller components?
Sibley:
I do this when I'm heat stressed and can't eat. Assuming I actually cook a meal (lot of snacking happens), I just eat a small amount, then go back later and eat more. Over time, your stomach will actually shrink so eating the larger amount becomes difficult. Sometimes I'll break up the components. So if I'm eating a veggie + a main dish + another side, I might eat the veggie first, then come back later and eat the main dish, then later eat the 2nd side. Or whatever I can manage.
Edit: You may also find that appetizers or bite sized things lend themselves well to this.
ixtap:
Others have spoken to the idea of breaking up the existing meals, but some grab and go things I use:
-cut up veggies, with or without a dip, like hummus
-nuts: I have small tupperwares that I fill with nuts when heading out
-sandwiches - OK, not exactly grab and go, but you can prep the ingredients, so that you just put a few things together quickly. For example, we often have falafel sandwiches with avocado, tomato and lettuce or sprouts
-bean salad - ours is just a can each of green beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs
-fruit and nuts or nut butter
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